Jennifer is an experienced genealogist and translator of French and Latin records. While her experience touches on all areas of genealogy, she has particular expertise and interest in Missouri, Illinois, French, and French Canadian research. Her approach to research is creative and strategic, and she has a talent for leveraging technology and obscure details in the dogged pursuit of her subjects. Never one to give up, she enjoys deciphering and transcribing difficult-to-read records.

In addition to her work for Backlog, Jennifer is an Operations Researcher for The Jacobson Group's executive search practice area. The Jacobson Group is a full-service recruiting firm serving the insurance industry. In her multi-functional role, Jennifer provides candidate research expertise to search engagement teams, performs operational functions such as editing and formatting client deliverables, and supports business development through company and industry research.

Previously, Jennifer spent seven years solving research problems for local, out-of-state, and international patrons of St. Louis County Library’s History and Genealogy Department. She was a regular contributing writer in PastPorts, the department’s monthly publication. Her publications include “Cover Your Basics: City Directory Research Strategies,” “Genealogy in Lincolnland,” and “French & Spanish Archives, Part 1,” which was reprinted in the St. Louis Genealogical Society Quarterly. Jennifer received Bachelor of Science degrees in history and anthropology from Washington University in St. Louis. She has participated in archaeological digs at the Louis Blanchette House in St. Charles, the Gustav Koerner House in Belleville, and Cahokia Mounds.

Jennifer consistently delivers insightful genealogy and historical research webinars for Backlog. Among her past presentations are Revealing Your Family’s Location: Genealogy Through City Directories. She has also conducted two Illinois-focused webinars, one highlighting Abe’s Papers, a comprehensive guide to genealogy research using records associated with Abraham Lincoln, and another centered on the valuable Kaskaskia Manuscripts.